LINDA SHOEMAKER: Riley on a mission in 11th District

SAN ANGELO, Texas - On a rainy December day, Jim Riley drove to Austin to file for a place on the Democratic primary ballot. He is running in the 11th Congressional District against incumbent Mike Conaway. It's a safe Republican district, part of a redistricting strategy devised by felon Tom DeLay.

Conaway's best accomplishment has been to maintain the foundation laid by his predecessor, Charlie Stenholm, a Democrat. Based on his record, Conaway could permanently set his voting apparatus to "NO."

Riley is not another millionaire politician. A working-class man, he served in the Army as chaplain's assistant, public affairs NCO and combat engineer officer in Germany, South Korea and the United States.

Like others in the shrinking middle class, Riley has applied for work, been laid off and worried about paying his bills. Using old-fashioned shoe leather, he walked and drove through the district, meeting voters and collecting signatures for his petition in lieu of filing fee.

Riley is running because he agrees with Martin Luther King Jr., who said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"

Unlike Conaway, Riley will not vote to cut Pell Grants for working-class students. He knows the value of education. His degree is from a Florida university where he started taking classes while stationed at the Naval Air Station in Boca Chica.

He and wife, Christina, have been married 19 years. They have three children. Jimmy Jr. graduates from Central in May. Daughter Dolores attends Glenn Middle School and Joseph attends Bowie Elementary.

The day after the disheartening 2010 election, Riley sent an email announcing his plan to run. I asked if he had lost his mind. Riley still has his mind, but realizes the importance of reminding voters of Conaway's record.

He agrees with longtime state Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine, who also is running for Congress and reminds constituents that one person with steely resolve and determination can make a huge difference.

Americans have another leader with resolve and determination. President Barack Obama delivered a magnificent State of the Union address.

He began and ended his speech on the subject of Navy SEALs who took out Osama bin Laden. His point was that these brave men performed as a unit, focusing on the mission. Each member knew someone had his back. Obama believes we could change the angry mood by thinking of ourselves as a unit.

He gave as another example the fact that Bob Gates, former Bush Cabinet member, and Hillary Clinton, secretary of State and his 2008 opponent, were in the Situation Room with him when the SEALs accomplished their mission. There was an unspoken assurance: I've got your back.

An avid newspaper fan, I looked at headlines about the economy. One front-page story was headlined, "Gulf hot spot for drilling again." The Associated Press story stated that increased production from onshore U.S. fields and slowing domestic demand for gasoline, plus newfound oil in the Gulf, could help reduce U.S. oil imports by more than half over the next decade.

Months ago, this seemed unlikely. The Obama administration had halted drilling and stopped issuing new permits after the explosion of a BP well killed 11 workers and caused the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

But the moratorium was lifted. Obama's administration issued the first new drilling permit last March. The Gulf is booming and some say it is the world's best place to drill. It is estimated that by early 2012, there will be more rigs in the Gulf designed to drill in its "deep water" than before the spill.

Obama took precisely the right action. The BP tragedy resulted in beefed up safety regulations by producers and regulators alike. The president announced that oil production is at its highest level in eight years, proving these resources can be developed without putting people or the environment at risk.

Looking for good news, I observed a local billboard announcing, "National housing market improved drastically in January." A headline on an AP story says, "The housing market ended the year on a positive note with strong sales in December." More good news is that General Motors is now the No. 1 automaker in the world. The auto industry has added 165,000 workers.

Finally, Federal Reserve governors think unemployment will drop to 8.2 percent by the end of 2012. This good news shows what can be done when all focus is on the mission.

In a bittersweet moment, the president hugged Gabby Giffords, who has resigned from Congress to concentrate on her rehabilitation after being shot in the head. Please join me in wishing her good luck.